By Ado Oyeyemi
The Nigeria Customs Service has clarified that candidates whose names appeared on its recruitment shortlist are not yet guaranteed employment, saying they must complete further screening and training requirements before they can be formally appointed.
The clarification came amid complaints from some shortlisted applicants who said they had completed the Computer-Based Test, physical examination and initial screening, accepted appointments on the recruitment portal and found their names on the published list but were yet to receive invitations for the training programme.
More than 500 affected candidates reportedly expressed concern after invitations to the training were said to have stopped on Monday, with some claiming they had resigned from their previous jobs and incurred expenses in anticipation of their appointments.
However, the NCS spokesman, Deputy Comptroller Abdullahi Maiwada, said the publication of a candidate’s name should not be interpreted as a final appointment into the service.
Maiwada explained that candidates were still required to undergo physical screening and meet other eligibility conditions before they could proceed to the Customs Training College.
He said the screening process was designed to determine which candidates met the requirements and those who failed any of the stipulated conditions would be dropped.
According to him, age, academic qualifications, medical fitness and drug screening are among the factors that could determine a candidate’s eligibility.
Maiwada said candidates found to be above the prescribed age limit, presenting inconsistent or forged credentials, testing positive for prohibited drugs or having medical conditions that could prevent them from undergoing the rigours of training would be disqualified.
He further stressed that even candidates admitted into the training college would not automatically become Customs officers, noting that they must successfully complete the programme and meet the required academic, physical and character standards before commissioning.
The spokesman said the service could not justify expending public funds on training candidates who had already failed basic eligibility checks, adding that drug screening was particularly important because serving Customs officers undergo annual drug tests irrespective of their ranks.
The recruitment exercise began with an advertisement published on December 27, 2024, for 3,927 vacancies across the Superintendent, Inspectorate and Customs Assistant cadres. The exercise attracted 573,680 applications.
Following various stages of screening and verification, 3,852 candidates were shortlisted, comprising 1,275 Superintendents, 367 Inspectors and 2,210 Customs Assistants.
The shortlisted candidates subsequently underwent medical documentation and physical screening, while those who passed the required stages were invited for basic training scheduled to commence on October 9, 2026, at the Customs Training College.
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The latest clarification means that candidates whose names appeared on the shortlist may still be subjected to further verification before receiving final appointment letters, completing training and being commissioned as officers.
